Saroj Singh Kushwaha, a member of the Madhesh Provincial Assembly, has been suspended again following the filing of a corruption charge sheet against him by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA). The Provincial Assembly issued the suspension notice on Friday.
Kushwaha, from the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal, had previously been suspended after being arrested by CIAA on Jestha 29 (mid-June) during an investigation. However, the suspension was lifted on Bhadra 13 (late August) based on the CIAA report, as no charges had been formally filed and he had been released on bail.
Following further investigation, CIAA has now filed formal corruption charges against him. Evidence shows that Kushwaha collected funds through various consumer committees and deposited the money into his personal account via his private secretary Vinodlal Kayastha, prompting the renewed action.
Kushwaha represents Mahottari-4 (V) Constituency in the Provincial Assembly. His suspension is expected to affect the confidence vote of Madhesh Province Chief Minister Jitendra Prasad Sonal, who formed the government with support from 56 lawmakers. Recently, two JSP lawmakers withdrew their support, increasing pressure on the government.
With Kushwaha’s suspension, the number of votes required to maintain a majority has further decreased. Currently, the Madhesh Provincial Assembly has 107 members, and along with Kushwaha, two UML lawmakers, Dipendra Thakur and Abhiram Sharma, have also been suspended.
About the Author
